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Following the latest cost hike for Game Pass Ultimate, the initial commotion has subsided. While it may not be seen as the top offer in gaming now, the platform has introduced several big-name launch day releases lately, such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2. These titles further enrich a vast collection of numerous games perfect for weekend marathon sessions.

Our current picks feature a therapeutic action game, an prize-winning indie gem, and a essential HD-2D RPG.

Resistance: Sniper Elite

From time to time, everyone needs a little release. For 20 years, the Sniper Elite series has provided precisely that. Rebellion Developments' enduring shooter line offers players intensely graphic carnage against enemy targets. This year, the studio released Sniper Elite: Resistance, a well-timed addition to the franchise. Although it doesn't revolutionize the gameplay, Resistance is a well-constructed dose of immersive sim World War II sandboxes filled with Nazi targets. The long-range combat is as visceral and gratifying as always, featuring the series' signature killcam displaying each shot's effect in gory, explicit clarity. It's a bloody thrill for every pacifist wanting to let off steam in the security of a virtual world.

Resist 1000x

1000xResist tells an award-winning story touching on life after a pandemic existence, generational pain, and much more. It examines these subjects through a sci-fi perspective; you assume the role of Watcher, one of multiple clones of Iris, the only person left of a global outbreak that wiped out humanity. Watcher and her sister clones explore Iris's memories from the time Earth was ravaged by that horrific plague, as well as experiences of her school and home life, both of which were easy for a teenager. Watcher learns Iris isn't all that she seems, and the plot unfolds from that point. If all that mystery fails to hook you, the game indeed start with a killing. Is there a more gripping start than that?

Octopath Traveler 2

Yes, finishing a gazillion-hour RPG in just over a week is a tall order, but if there's any game worth attempting the grind for, it's Octopath Traveler 2. Square Enix's HD-2D gem is departing Game Pass at the close of the month (as is the first game, also available). However, with a holiday in the middle, at least for players in the U.S., it's technically achievable. Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight characters, each representing a different story style. There's a procedural story about a cleric investigating the death of his church's head priest. A merchant aiming to eradicate destitution through the force of capitalism stars in a western-themed narrative. Additionally, there's a enigma about an apothecary with memory loss (since every good RPGs need a character with an unknown past, of course). A few of these plots intertwine in surprising, fascinating ways, as you play through a stunning Industrial Revolution themed setting. And the battle system is superb — “number go up” boiled to its essence.